In clothes washer/extractors used in commercial and public establishments, water supply hoses commonly are connected to a metal tubular fitting welded to the back of the wash tub of the washer/extractor. The hose is positioned over and secured to the fitting for the purpose of supplying wash water to the tub. Such tubular fittings commonly are made of stainless steel in order to resist corrosion caused by exposure to laundry chemicals. Due to the positioning and angle of such tubular fittings, it can be difficult obtain a secure and water tight weld with the wall of the metal wash tub. The metal fitting also is a relatively expensive part because of the stainless steel material and the processes required to manufacture the part and reliably secure it to the wash tub.
While plastic hose connecting fittings have been used to connect water supply hoses to the wash tub, heretofore such fittings must be installed from inside the tub and then a locking nut is screwed onto a hose connecting portion of the fitting from outside of the tank to hold the fitting in place and create a water tight seal with a compression gasket interposed between the fitting and wash tub wall. Such hose connecting fittings have not allowed for replacement of the fitting without access to the interior of the wash tub, which is a significant draw back for field service if a damaged fitting requires replacement. With such plastic fittings, a protruding hose connecting tube must be externally threaded for receiving the fastening nut. This further requires that the tube be oriented perpendicular to the wall of the wash tub in which the fitting is secured, which may not be an optimum angle for most efficiently directing water into the wash tub without leakage about the fitting.